While a group of about 25 boys and girls each was selected last year, there were neither dedicated coaches nor clear plans on how to go about the process.

Two years after it was conceived as a platform to train talented youngsters, the Delhi-based National Hockey Academy will finally see the first of its trainees in July after try-outs for the same were finalised over the last week of June.

While a group of about 25 boys and girls each was selected last year, there were neither dedicated coaches nor clear plans on how to go about the process, and that is something Hockey India and the Sports Authority of India seem to have sorted out.

“A list of about 120 boys and 110 girls was received from Hockey India, and 27 boys and 22 girls have been shortlisted. Four have been kept on stand-by in case of any discrepancy after age verification for which we have already sent details. The age criterion was 14-17 years, or those born between Jaunary 1, 2000, and December 31, 2003. The target is to have this batch ready in time for the 2024 Olympics,” Academy CEO, M.P. Ganesh, told Sportstar.

The former India captain and coach, who was brought on board for an initial period of three years, has also been involved in preparing the blueprint for the NHA. The selected juniors will be called up in the next two weeks, and sent to Shilaroo for training.

The trials, though, were not free of controversy. Almost half of those called up for trials were selected by Hockey India’s zonal performance managers B.J. Cariappa and Pramod Bathlaw. Sources confirmed that Bathlaw’s list, comprising players from the northern states, was under scrutiny for recommendations en masse from only a handful of academies and that he had been removed from the post by Hockey India.

Officials also revealed that he was kept away from the stadium during the trials. The players were tested on fitness, skills and game intelligence, with HI’s High Performance Director David John overseeing the selection. There was also a question mark on the fate of the 25 players selected last year. While some have been moved to the national junior core group, the others have been either retained after the trials or sent back to their regional training centres.

No junior, Ganesh declared, had been left without direction. “In fact, I spoke to the SAI director general, Injeti Srinivas, to make sure that the kids being sent back to the STCs were re-admitted. We cannot play with their future,” he said.

Ganesh said the next step was to appoint coaches for the NHA. “We want at least one foreign coach in the set-up to train and develop Indian coaches. It has been approved, and we are trying to get things in place,” he said.

Coal India will be the sponsoring partner for the Academy. “We are also looking at getting teachers for various subjects to visit and teach the kids, who will then appear for exams through open school,” Ganesh said.

source: http://www.sportstarlive.com / SportStar Live / Home> Hockey / by Uthara Ganesan / New Delhi – July 03rd, 2017

Chennai :

International squash player Joshna Chinnappa was on Tuesday appointed senior sports officer of Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco).

Chinnappa met chief minister Edappadi K Palanisamy at the secretariat and received the order in the presence of power minister P Thangamani, energy secretary Vikram Kapur and Tangedco chairman M Saikumar.

The decision to make a direct appointment under the sports quota was made after the squash player made a request. Chinnappa won the women’s title in the Asian Individual Squash Championship in April this year.

Earlier this year, she reached the quarterfinals of the World Championship in Egypt. She also won the gold medal in the Commonwealth Games in the women’s doubles with Dipika Pallikal-Karthik. She has won seven titles so far.

Though many national and international sport persons are employed in public sector undertaking like railways, oil companies, banks etc, this is probably the first time an international sports person has approached the Tamil Nadu government for a job.

“Squash is not very famous in the country and therefore I did not approach PSUs. I approached the Tamil Nadu government for employment as the government has allocated money for several sports persons,” Chinnappa told TOI.

“In the next 5 or 6 years if I decide to retire from the sport I want job security and so I approached the state government. I will be joining the job in a few days and only after that I will come to know of the type of work I need to perform,” said Chinnappa.

Tangedco has in the past appointed sports persons, but this is the first time a sports person of international repute has been appointed in the discom. “It is the first time an international sport person has applied for an employment with us. She stands number 1 in squash in India and 14th in the world,” Saikumar told TOI.

Chinappa’s appointment in Tangedco comes a day after the chief minister announced cash rewards for Tamil Nadu athletes who won medals in the Asian Athletic Championship which concluded in Bhubaneshwar on Sunday.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> Sports> More Sports> Others / by Sivakumar B / TNN / July 11th, 2017

For putting India on the squash map and winning multiple tournaments to secure the world number 10 rank in 2016.

At eight, when most girls are busy playing hopscotch on school playgrounds, Joshna Chinappa was busy making frequent trips to the Madras Cricket Club and debating which sport — badminton or tennis — she would like to pursue professionally. While good at both, her family background (her father Anjan Chinappa and great-granduncle Field Marshall KM Cariappa were both squash players) saw her gravitate towards the lesser-known sport of squash. Her standout moment came in the 2014 Commonwealth Games doubles event, when she along with partner Dipika Pallikal Karthik became the first Indian players to win a gold medal; and her stellar performances saw her seize her career-highest World No. 10 rank in 2016.

The initial challenges
Squash wasn’t well known when I started playing, and getting financial assistance and sponsorships were tough. My parents could only afford to send me for a couple of tournaments a year and I had no choice but to travel alone from the age of 10, as it was expensive to have someone accompany me on each trip.

Training routine
I play about 15 tournaments a year. I love training, so preparing for an event really charges me up. Training each day lasts for about five hours. I work with my fitness trainer on my strength and conditioning and with my squash coach on court. I also do a lot of weight training, and agility and sprint sessions.

On injuries
They are always hard for athletes to deal with because sport is our livelihood and passion and to not be able to do something you love is heart-breaking. On the bright side, an injury can help put things into perspective…it can make you much stronger, both mentally and physically.

On women in sports
I feel it’s the women today who are really putting sports on the radar. We have so many achievers — strong, powerful women who have come from such diverse fields and backgrounds showing us how, with a little support, wonders can be achieved. It’s so great to see them work hard and win despite the tough circumstances they face. I’m sure that if they receive the support they truly deserve, the sky is the limit!

source: http://www.vervemagazine.in / Verve / Home> Verve People / Text by Tina Dastur , Photography by Prateek Patel / June 08th, 2017